The Final Words of Zhou Gongjin
by Lu Baihu
Summary: What Zhou Yu (Gongjin) of the RTK supernovel thought as he lay dying in Chapter 57 ...


# The Final Words of Zhou Gongjin

I will only write if sun_dawei (Yahoo! Member) does not decide to beat me with a stick, since this about one of his favorites.

** No disclaimer, because Luo Guanzhong lived before the term copyright existed.

_"Before Sleeping-Dragon emerged from his Nanyang retreat,_

_A brilliant man had descended upon this earth;_

_Since, O Azure Heaven, ye made Zhou Yu,_

_Why needed Yellow Earth produce an Zhuge Liang?"_

**

My name is Zhou Gongjin.

And I am about to die.

Sure, I was healed after that arrow from Chen Jiao hit me. But that's not it. It's that … that … bastard! That bastard, Zhuge Kongming! Oh, heavens, why! Can truly heaven be so spiteful, as to unleash his kind upon the earth?

My wife, Younger Qiao, sits before me. Her tears are soft, mournful ones. Truly, she mourns for the recent death of our son. But I know that she also mourns for me. I can only lay in sorrow, .

I fondly remember our wedding. It was a well-received one, for at once my sworn brother Bwo-Fu and your own elder sister were also married with us. Bwo-Fu and I were decked out in our red silk robes, you in your magnificent gowns … oh, such is the bonding of legends …

I fondly remember my friend, Taishi Ziyi (Ci). Such a good man, really. Old-fashioned, yet honorable. I'd heard the stories that he rescued the governor of Beihai from Yellow Scarves, for his mother had been supplied in a pilgrimage there. Alas, I could only held him in such esteem _after_ Zhang Wen? (Liao)'s thousand arrows found him. Even now, I remember his final words: "When a worthy man is born into a turbulent world, he has to be a soldier and gird on a three-spans sword to step on the mountains to mend the sky. I have not rendered great service. Why must I die before I have attained my desire?"

And Sun Zoumou, brother of my friend. Both good men. Zoumou is of good virtue, and will lead well into the years. Who can speak ill of his administration, or of his warrior's skills. Though his beard looks fake if you ask me …

And even Liu Xuande. He too is of virtue … if an enemy. I truly note that he is a faithful man … despite what I saw him doing on that boat home with Zhao Zilong. Ugh … I always thought they were pansies. And I think Zhug--

Zhuge Kongming. I cannot get you out of my mind. Not since those days …

**

It had been a carefully won siege. After the defeat of Jiang Qin, I counterattacked and took Yiling. In the pursuit, Zhou Tai and Cao Ren themselves fought (quite well). As the result was a tie, I urged my men on and Cao Ren was soundly defeated. He retreated to nearby Nanjun where Chen Jiao awaited. How foolish was I to follow.

Chen Jiao. I remember his smirk, even with my sight failing. His smirk, curving just slightly up as his bowstring _twanged_, and his missile struck my rib. What a bastard. Only Xu Sheng and Ding Feng saved me that day from Niu Jin. Perhaps it would have been better had I simply died. Oh well, such things cannot be taken back.

Taken in, the army doctor removed the arrow and told me, "The missile had been poisoned, and the wound will require a long time to heal. You, General, must be kept quiet and especially free from any irritation, which will cause the wound to reopen." I should have taken his advice. Anyway, we remained in camp until Niu Jin came around three days later, screaming taunts and insulting our nobility. Only for fear of my health did Cheng Pu refrain from answering. He did not tell me, though I knew of it.

I was quite angered when Cheng Pu said that the soldiers were drilling, and more when he worried for my safety. All officers in council agreed to return home to Yangzhou til I was healed. I furiously replied that as I had eaten of lord's bounty, should I die in lord's service. Could I truly have regained my health, at the loss of my master's grand plans? I quickly mounted my steed.

Cao Ren reviled me as a punk, and my rage rose so that without care I rode to the front crying, "Here I am, base churl; look at me!" That Cao _zhi_'s men were rightly in awe, yet his lowly reply was, "Let us all revile him!" The abuse continued, until I finally called Pan Zhang to arms … with a trick up my sleeve. Before the first blow, I loudly screamed, and fell with blood, in a trickle flowing freely. Though our armies met, I was carried home safely.

Cheng Pu inquired of my condition, and learned that this was a ruse, so Cao Ren would think me dead and try a night raid. I sent 'deserters' to inform him. At first watch I found the enemy had fallen for it. As they drew near, they realized my ruse. Still, it was too late. A bomb struck and from all sides the elite of the Southland pressed in. Cao Ren was badly beaten, but ran off.

And then as my victorious forces entered Nanjun, I found that bitch, Zhao Yun of Changshan, at the city walls! My own forces were unable to drive him off. So, I decided to have a few thousand under Gan Ning to take Jingzhou City and Ling Tong to go to take back Xiangyang. Now the scouts came in.

"After Nanjun fell, Zhuge Liang suddenly forging a military commission, induced the guards of Jingzhou to leave it and go to the rescue of Cao Ren. Whereupon Zhang Fei occupied the town." Another scout added, "Xiahou Dun at Xiangyang received from Zhuge Liang dispatches, supported by a commission in due form, saying that Cao Ren was in danger and needed help, whereupon Xiahou Dun marched off, and Guan Yu seized that city."

Oh, what bastards! That without the slightest push, that pansy Liu Bei took Nanjun _and_ Xiangyang! I asked how Zhuge Liang had gotten the commissons. "He seized that of Chen Jiao and so has got all this region into his power."

The last thing I saw was the ceiling. The first I saw when I woke up, still deluded, was that country bumpkin's trampled head.

**

You people know the rest. Zhuge Liang's revelation of my plan to lure Liu Bei to Wu to kill him, then to keep him there, and reviling me for the loss of my soldiers _and_ Lady Sun, ah! (Knew she was a hothead when we were in the weapons closet.) And then, the loss of Jingzhou to Lu Su's idiocy!I guess that one drove me over the edge. At Chaisang I tried to warn Zijiang with my 'Borrow a Road to Exterminate the Host', yet that proved an ignoble failure! All times, I fainted in my anger, until at last I am forced to this.

And thus, I am a dying man. A lover, husband, father, friend, commander. Yet, in my heart, I shall only know myself one who was bested in his own lifetime. Such a pity, that I can only say this:

"O God, since thou made Zhou Yu, why did thou also create Zhuge Liang?"

**Flames on Three Kingdoms Fans or fanfiction.net will be used to further waste the Cao fleets! **


End file.
